Kyle Dyer Dog Bite: TV Anchor Got 70 Stitches After Dog Bit Her On Face During On-Air Segment (VIDEO)

DENVER -- A Denver morning television anchor who was bitten in the face by an 85-pound dog during a live broadcast says she needed 70 stitches in her lips and nose.

Kyle Dyer of KUSA-TV wrote on her Facebook page over the weekend that she can't talk because her mouth is stitched shut to let a skin graft take and so blood can circulate in her lips again. The Facebook post says she expects another procedure in the next few weeks.

Dyer was injured Wednesday while doing an on-air segment with the dog's owner and a firefighter who had rescued the Argentine Mastiff from an icy pond in suburban Lakewood the day before.

She was petting the dog's head seconds before it bit her.

WATCH the dramatic dog rescue above and the bite below (WARNING BITE VIDEO IS GRAPHIC):

Comments

[treehugger1111]

12:20 AM on 02/24/2012

To all of you who are saying that Kyle shouldn't have done what she did, SHAME ON YOU!!!! At this point, that is completely irrelevant. She is a kind and beautiful woman who just suffered a terrible tragedy. It's not as if she punched the dog in the face or otherwise provoked it; she was petting it and showing it love and kindness. She just suffered this pain and suffering and you all dare judge her??? Screw you all!!!

[doglovr]

03:31 PM on 02/20/2012

Never, never put your face in any dog's face that you don't know personally. The dog was nervous as shown by his licking his lips, ears back etc. He had been thru a lot plus being in a new, unusual place. The owner should have recognized this & corrected the situation. I'm sure the anchor does love dogs but she apparently doesn't know that much about them which is why she should not have been holding him under the chin like that & leaning in to kiss an unknown dog is a no no. He was warning her to back off by the obvious signs but when that didn't work, he merely gave her the next level which was a snap. It could have been a lot worse! I am sorry that anyone got hurt & I wish her the very best outcome & certainly hope it doesn't stop her from caring about dogs. I wonder if anyone on the show asked the owner before hand how he was with people & if he had been vaccinated?

[mroxie2001]

09:32 AM on 02/25/2012

Everything you said is right on, yet there was no mention on the segment of what she did wrong. It should be a lesson to all of what, NOT TO DO.

[lorileeky]

11:50 PM on 02/17/2012

Dog had been through alot...probably should have given him time to regroup before pushing him on tv.

[Elisabeth Vance]

02:33 AM on 02/16/2012

Dog bites are serious for whatever reason or outcome. Little dogs can, and often seem to be more likely to bite than larger dogs. Stress from the day before, and possibly the studio situation may have contributed to the dog's reaction, but I believe that the closeness of Kyle's face to his was the trigger that set him off, and I don't think it was an act of aggression or viciousness. Nor do believe the dog was showing signs as some comments have alluded to, yes his ears were back, but they were relaxed ears;even his owner was stroking them. I had a wonderful Border Collie dog previously, we loved each other until she died at 13 years of age. Once when I was walking her, on a leash, I leaned over to pet and praise her, she raised up as if to kiss me, but her mouth opened up a bit and caught my lip.It opened it a little and it took a few days to heel. No other negative behavior was exhibited then, or later. I still believe she was trying to kiss me. I feel sorry for Kyle, and she has my prayers for a good recovery and continued love for animals and people as she has shown before. Just stay out of their faces, especially if they don't know you!

[lzach]

12:55 AM on 02/16/2012

I agree that way too much was expected of this dog...the owner should have given him a chance to recoup, and Kyle really, really, really shouldn't have put her face in his, but, that being said, Kyle has more than learned her lesson. What a horror story...mouth sewn shut, a lengthy rehab ahead. I send best wishes to her and her family and hopes for rapid healing. And I do wish they'd back off of the dog, provided the owners start exercising better judgment on his behalf. Leash him, for one thing, and he wouldn't be out on ice in the first place. Best wishes, Kyle!

[sanfran55]

12:44 PM on 02/15/2012

I have to say that I'm not surprised about the extent of the injury given the size of the mouth on that dog. While what the woman did, approaching the dog so closely, was foolish, but I hope that the dog owner is busy setting up an appointment with Cesar Millan for dog owner training if he is really serious about keeping a large, powerful breed of dog. Life is stressful, and what next that will stress out this dog where he'll take a snap and injure and send someone else to the hospital?

[Salukeitis]

04:46 PM on 02/15/2012

That's what I've been saying. This scary dog should be evaluated by experts. If he continues to show aggression well he must be put down.
What the woman did was foolish but she didn't deserve 72 stitches.

[omg346]

10:00 PM on 02/15/2012

The dog does not need to be evaluated. The lady needs to learn not to put her face that close to a dog. If its not your dog respect his space. That dog went through a lot and was is a studio with all of those loud noises and people he didn't know.

[South Side Chuy]

11:47 AM on 02/15/2012

When you put your face next to an Argentine Mastiff's mouth and stare him in the eyes...don't be surprised when it bites you in the face.

[Patriotology]

10:33 AM on 02/15/2012

Wow, 70 stitches, they must be reconstructive stitches, very fine, very small. I can't imagine the bite area was bigger than from her nose bridge to her lower lip. Looks like a cut and not a rip or tear, so she may get out of this relatively scar free.

[CorinaK]

09:35 AM on 02/15/2012

I disagree with most of the posters. I worked in rescue for years, and I love my rescue dogs - most people say I treat them like family - but if my dogs did this, I'd put them down.

When I adopted them 8 years ago, they were abused, untrained, and had clear aggression problems. I laid the ground rules immediately: a growl from a sitting position was okay, but any lunge, snap, snarl, or increased aggression was punishable for the remainder of the day - no treats, cuddles, no sitting on furniture, etc. Within a year the aggression stopped, and they've never bit anyone.

I got a lot of advice in raising them and couldn't love them any more. They're ESA dogs so they fly on my lap when I have to go on work trips. I started working from home after I got them because I couldn't stand to be away from them.

However, if one of them bit someone - causing torn skin, scarring, or a loss of function in any way, as this dog did - damage that will haunt someone - I would not hesitate to put them down.

They are not children. They are dogs, a different species altogether. And if you cannot control your dog's aggression - even if mildly provoked (let's get real, this lady did not beat him) - then the dog is your weapon and that weapon has caused harm.

[mallenrohslvr]

10:41 PM on 02/14/2012

Counties will do w/e they can to wring as much money as they can from us. . . Mine sent me a court summons for failure to pay my dog tax when they only sell them from November til January 31st and I got my dog in August, I tried to get her license at the SPCA and they wouldn't give me one despite the fact that she came from them!!! I got my court summons for failure to pay at the end of December 2011 and I still had til January 31, 2012 to purchase her tag so I hadn't even broken the law!

[Elisabeth Vance]

01:59 AM on 02/16/2012

I feel for you. Hopefully it is just a warning. Get that license, have it with you in court, then hopefully they will dismiss it. The news is that dog owners who haven't licensed their dogs in Denver will not only be fined, but also jailed!

[PartisanLove]

05:50 PM on 02/14/2012

wow I heard about this, didnt think the video would be there but that did not look that bad, Im shocked its that many stitches. What a terrible deal all around, I hope she gets better that sounds like a bad bite. I think both are a bit at fault here, like many have said. Shouldnt stick your face in a strange dogs face and the owner should not let her get that close if the dog has any semblance of that type of potential behavior. The dog showed no aggressive behavior even after the bite which is strange, you can usually tell when a dog is nervous or feels threatened and see that they may act out. The dog seemed as cool as could be before and after, weird.

[jesslove]

07:25 PM on 02/14/2012

this isnt true.. the dog did show many many signs of agression.. when dogs feel threatened their ears are back and the position of his mouth clearly states he is uncomfortable.. not once in that whole video did the dog seem cool before or after.. she shouldnt of gotten that close to his face.. it wasnt the dogs fault in any way.. the blame falls on the owner for having him in that situation and the anchor for getting that close to a dog she doesnt know when he is showing her the signs to move away.

[PartisanLove]

12:35 PM on 02/15/2012

oh true, I watched again and the dogs ears are back which is a sure sign. I guess I meant the demeanor didnt seem defensve, seemed almost happy but of course the dog wasnt.

[Salukeitis]

02:34 PM on 02/16/2012

dream on, the dog is not at fault in any way? dream on

[ingallsra]

05:44 PM on 02/14/2012

When someone believes their dogs would never act the way this dog did, they're setting their animals up to fail. I've owned animals including dogs and horses and am a trainer who's fanatical when it comes to safety. My life, career-wise and personally, revolves around safety. My education in training has been lifelong, and I'll be learning until the day I die. Cardinal rule: you can NEVER ASSUME your animal is fool proof, bomb proof, kid proof, etc... The moment you believe that is the moment you'll be proven wrong. I have well-behaved pets but my guard's never completely down when they're interacting with other animals or people. Circumstances one would never conceive of can happen instantly and an animal is going to react accordingly if they've reached their limit. The particular dog we're discussing had been through an extremely stressful 24 hours. He should've been at home in a familiar environment the day after his rescue from the water, not sitting on some hot, noisy, unfamiliar set with people he didn't know on either side of him. Having a stranger's face directly in his was his breaking point, and every animal has a breaking point. Whether he was protecting himself, his owner, or both, in his mind, he was in protection/survival mode. While I wish a speedy recovery for the reporter, hopefully this is a lesson learned for everyone involved. This dog was set up to fail, and shame on the people who failed him.

[mskretteberg]

04:04 PM on 02/14/2012

With all due respect to Kyle dogs don't understand that you were trying to be affectionate. Never ever try to kiss a dog on it's face especially when one, it's not your dog and two especially when it's a Mastiff, Pitbull, Doberman or other vicious dogs such as these breed

[jesslove]

07:29 PM on 02/14/2012

This comment is so wrong in many different ways. Mastiffs, pitbulls, and dobermans are not vicious. Dogs by nature are not vicious. If a dog is aggressive and vicious then that is the owners fault. A dog, no matter what breed, is only as good as its owner. I work with dogs for a living and I have been bit and attacked by more little and small dogs then bigger dogs. So many people believe that pitbulls are horrible and they are the most loving creatures and they are the only dogs I would have around my family and myself.

[Josh Nguyen]

08:47 PM on 02/14/2012

"If a dog is aggressive and vicious then that is the owners fault" LOL I just laugh!
they are animal, they will defend themselves if they feel you're harmful to them,..well how would you feel if a stranger all up on your face?

[omg346]

09:56 PM on 02/15/2012

I agree with JessLove!!!! I own a bullmastiff and the are not mean animals. I kiss mine all the time and I can get in his face and not worry about getting bit. Unless you own a big dog you shouldn't make comments also you should educate yourself on them. Mastiffs are laid back dogs. I also have a neighbor that owns 2 Dobermans and they are the sweetest dogs! What that lady did was dumb on her part and lack of sense. These kind of comments just make me so mad because people don't research they just go off of what they see or people tell them.

[theshadowdo]

03:30 PM on 02/14/2012

I am so sorry for this ordeal that she's going through - thank God she was in Denver, instead of some other place where the surgeons might not be as adept. Thank God she received immediate care which I am sure will make a huge difference.

[Jeri L]

03:22 PM on 02/14/2012

Dogs need to be trained to be fool proof. There isn't a dog in my house that any stranger couldn't stick their face near, even our German Shepherd. We worked with him from the time he was a tiny puppy to be gentle and he is. Shame on that dog owner for not training his dog better and shame on the dog owner for not warning her the dog was violent. She was doing nothing but being affectionate. I don't see how she is liable for bending her face close to his. Dogs should be taught from a young age to accept human presences...dominant gestures or not. It could have been an innocent child bending over him, the owner dropping something and bending over the dog to pick it up, or the owner bending over the dog's dish to feed him. Too many accidents can occur if dogs aren't trained properly when they have dominance issues. If the owner hadn't trained him to be non-aggressive he should have warned Kyle to never bend over the dog. It doesn't sound like this owner is responsible with his dog. He allowed him to run around without a leash, putting fireman in danger to save him. He then bites someone petting him affectionately the very next day. The owner is the one who should be in big trouble. His negligence just might cost his dog his life.

[superspiffy]

04:36 PM on 02/14/2012

While I agree that the owner is a big part of the issue here, I think it is naive to think that a dog can be foolproof in any situation. They are living creatures, with their own experiences and instincts and no matter how well-trained the dog is, there is always a situation that will cause the dog to react. The complete lack of knowledge about dog body language/behavior that most people (even dog owners) possess is just making the problem worse.

[eilish]

07:33 PM on 02/14/2012

If my mild little Sheltie had been through the horror this dog had he might have reacted the same way. I'd wanna be home in my own safe bed not on some TV set full of chaos and strangers so imagine how a bewildered dog whose life was nearly forfeit recently must have felt.

I doubt that this high profile woman would demand the dog be euthanized, it wouldn't look good and I'm hoping she's understanding.

[sanfran55]

12:38 PM on 02/15/2012

I agree that many breeds would have acted the same, but when you have a dog that has a mouth like a crocodile, then the potential for serious injury is very high - as we've seen here, where the woman had to have reconstructive surgery. Being a dog owner is a lot of responsibility, particularly if you have a large, powerful breed like this dog.

[GirlOutWest]

10:12 PM on 02/15/2012

She really loves animals I believe since she does their Zoo stories.